Pectus excavatum is a condition in which your sternum (breastbone) has sunk into your chest cavity.
The condition is often not painful, but it occasionally can be.
Most often, people with pectus excavatum only suffer from slight disfigurement of their chest cavity.
In those cases, surgery may be recommended to correct the problem.
Raise both arms overhead, and double-check your upper arms, elbows, and forearms are touching the wall.
Then, breathe in, and slowly breathe out as you slide your arms down the wall.
Be sure your elbows and arms stay in contact with the wall.
Reach up again, inhale, and repeat the exercise for 1015 repetitions.
To perform the exercise, stand with an upright posture.
Hold a lightresistance bandin both hands, placing the band behind your thighs.
Allow the resistance band to gently pull your arms apart and back.
Hold the stretch for 1530 seconds and repeat three times.
Push-Ups
Push-ups are a great upper-body exercise to improve the strength of the pectoral muscles.
To perform the exercise, place your palms flat on the floor under your shoulders.
Your toes should be on the floor, too.
you’ve got the option to start flat on the floor or with arms extended.
If arms are extended, lower yourself until your arms are bent to 90 degrees and start from there.
Hold this position for two seconds, and then lower slowly.
Chest Fly
To perform the chest fly, lie on your back.
Hold two dumbbells in your hands (5 pounds is a good start).
Then breathe out as you slowly lift the weights back to the starting position.
Dumbbell Row
The dumbbell row is a great exercise to strengthen your back muscles.
To perform the exercise, hold two dumbbells in your hands.
Bend forward slightly at your hips, keeping your back as straight as possible and your head up.
Allow the weights to hang down in your arms towards the floor.
Breathe out as you slowly lift the dumbbells up into a rowing position.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Hold this position for two seconds, and then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.
Bend forward slightly at the waist.
Breathe out as you lift both arms up and back.
Hold the position for three seconds, and then return to the starting position.
Superman
To perform the Superman exercise, lie on your stomach with a pillow underneath your pelvis.
Reach both arms overhead.
Then, lift up your arms and both legs, slightly arching your back, and breathe out.
You should look like Superman flying through the air (without the cape).
Hold this position for three seconds, and lower slowly.
To perform the exercise, sit in a chair with upright posture.
Hold your arms out to the side and breathe out as you slowly turn your body to one side.
Hold this position for 15 seconds, and then return to the starting position.
Repeat the exercise to the other side.
Perform 10 repetitions of the seated twist to each side.
To perform the exercise, lie on the floor on your stomach and bend both knees up.
Your body should be bowed up in this position.
Hold the stretch for 1530 seconds, and then return to the starting position.
Keep your thighs perpendicular to the floor and slowly bend backward, tilting your head back as you bend.
Breathe out as you stretch, and hold the position for 15 seconds.
Summary
Pectus excavatum is a condition in which your sternum has sunk into your chest cavity.
In addition to physical disfigurement, this condition can sometimes cause heart problems and difficulties with lung function.
A physical therapist can provide exercises that can help maintain cardiac and pulmonary function.
These include exercises to improve strength, breathing, mobility, andin some casespostural control.
If these problems occur, then you may require surgery.
Working with a physical therapist is a good idea to increase your heart and lung function.
Your therapist can assess your condition and prescribe the correct exercises for you.
They may also help to decrease the need for surgical intervention for pectus excavatum.
Pectus excavatum will likely not go away.
However, you could perform exercises to minimize its effects on your day-to-day life.
2019;131(5-6):126-131. doi: 10.1007/s00508-018-1406-0
